Great Notts Show will be bigger and better

THE annual Great Notts Show will soon be returning to the Old Market Square with a full weekend of food and drink, arts and crafts, live music and children's entertainment.

Last year's event attracted more than 100,000 people. Even higher numbers are expected from June 13 to 15.

"Each year it will get bigger and better," says co-founder Gary Allen, adding, "so watch out Nottingham, great things are on the way."

More than 100 marquees will set up camp in the city centre, not only in the Old Market Square but along King Street, Queen Street and Smithy Row, with native artisans, brewers and restaurateurs showing off their locally produced crafts, hot and cold food and up to 40 different kinds of ales, lagers and ciders.

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The event is being extended to take in a bigger bar and stage area with the plans in place to keep it running until 11pm.

Nottingham's rich tourism sector will be represented in a unit on Smithy Row, including Nottingham Castle, Wollaton Park and the Galleries of Justice.

A pop-up installation by live art event producers Little Wolf Parade will also be found on Smithy Row.

Live music from local promoters I'm Not From London will include Georgie Rose, Fraser Lowrie, Tazer, Adam Peter Smith, Rob Green, Josh Kemp, Gorgeous Chans and the Idolins.

There'll be a game of rock and roll bingo on the Saturday at 3pm hosted by Mecca Bingo.

Mad Science will challenge the little ones, with further children's entertainment from puppet show Bongo Bongo.

Cooking demonstrations by top chefs will be back at the heart of the event, with the return of TV's Master Chef finalist Michelle Burge and the Observer's award winning butcher Johnny Pusztai, from JT Beedham's in Sherwood.

He will be bringing along a hog roast made with provincially reared pork.

"There will be a competition to invent The Great Notts Banger, which will be sold in Johnny's shop in Sherwood for a limited time after the show," Gary said.

There will be a large selection of food to choose from throughout the festival, ranging from Mexican to Italian, Thai and Caribbean.

There will also be doggy treats courtesy of Mrs Bishop's Doggy Deli.

"Her sister rescued a dog named Johnny. Johnny sadly had a heart condition so he couldn't eat anything with salts and sugars," he explains.

"So, Mr and Mrs Bishop set off on a mission to spoil little Johnny rotten, and they have been making healthy dog treats ever since."

For dessert, Bluebell's Dairy, a family business based in the East Midlands, will be offering their range of unusual ice cream flavours, including liquorice, orange cheesecake and mango.

Macmillan Cancer Support and Help a Nottinghamshire Child have been chosen as this year's charities.

Helena Monk, fundraising manager for the Nottinghamshire branch of Macmillan, said: "We are grateful for the opportunity to raise awareness and funds. No one should feel they're facing cancer alone."